Cam means for circular knitting machines



Aug. 15, 1967 D. PERNICK 3,335,581

CAM MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March (5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR. DA V/D FERN/CA BY Nakfiwm Lari/w A TTORNEY Aug. 15, 1967 D. PERNICK 3,335,581

CAM MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1965 2 swam-Sheet 2 E I E INVENTOR.

DA V/D FERN/CA BY A) a M A T'TORNE) United States Patent 3,335,581 CAM MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES David Pernick, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Monarch International Ltd, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 436,752 8 Claims. (Cl. 66-50) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to multi-feed circular knitting machines of the type having inclined design wheels at the feeds thereof.

In multi-feed circular knitting machines of the type having inclined design wheels at the feeds thereof, preferably in conjunction with rotary needle cylinders, it is desirable that the machines have a capacity for maximum production of plain and of patterned fabrics and also that the machines be readily changed over to make either the plain or the patterned fabrics.

It is an object of the present invention to provide needle operating cams at each of the feeds, between the design wheel and the stitch cam, of minimal peripheral extent to permit a maximum number of feeds for the machine while still having the cams readily capable of changing the type of fabric being knit. Generally the design wheels cause the needles to be selected at two levels and the cams are capable of being quickly adjusted so that the needle selection may be nullified so that plain fabric is knit, so that tuck and knit patterned fabric is knit and so that welt and knit patterned fabric is knit. The type of knitting at any one feed may be independent of the type of knitting at an adjacent feed.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a pair of movable cams at each feed to operate on needle butts in conjunction with a selection of needles by an inclined design wheel wherein one of said cams is adapted to move vertically while the other of said cams is adapted to move radially and wherein the cams are interconnected so that movement of one of said cams causes movement of the other thereof. The vertically movable cam, known as a nullifying cam, is movable to three positions in the upper one of which it nullifies the design wheel selection of the needles so that plain fabric is knit and at the same time it moves the radially movable cam, known as a wing cam, to inactive position. The arrangement is such that when the nullifying cam is in its lowermost position it has no action upon the needles and at the same time permits the wing cam to move inwardly to operative position wherein it lowers those needles leaving the design wheel at tuck level to a lower welt level (without affecting those needles leaving the design wheel at latch clearing level) so that welt and knit patterned fabric is knit. The arrangement is also such that when the nullifying cam is in its intermediate position it moves the wing cam to inactive position and permits the needle selection of the design wheel into tuck and latch clearing levels to function so that tuck and knit patterned fabric is knit. In the stitch ice arrangement of a particular fabric made on a multi-feed machine it may be required that the nullifying and wing cams will be independently positioned at each of the feeds of the machine.

The several objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof to be read in connection wtih the accompanying drawings showing the same, and from the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational View, looking toward the center of the machine, of the novel cam members of the present invention at one of the feeds of a multi-feed machine, shown disposed between a stitch cam and an inclined selector or design wheel (a portion of which is broken away for clarity) in dot-dash lines, with the nullifying cam in its raised operative position and the wing cam in its radially outward inoperative position and with dotted line indication of the paths of the latch needle butts as influenced by the design wheel and nullifying cam.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the nullifying cam in an intermediate level or tuck position and with the wing cam in its radially outward inoperative position wherein the needles knit to form tuck or plain stitches as selected by the action of the design wheel.

FIG. 3 is also a view similar to FIG. 1 with the nullifying cam in its lowermost or welt position and with the wing cam in its radially inward operative position wherein the needles raised to latch clearing level by the design wheel pass over the wing cam and the needles leaving the design wheel at tuck level are lowered to welt level by th action of the wing cam.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3 showing the operative position of the wing cam when the nullifying cam is in its lowermost inactive position.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1 showing the inoperative position of the wing cam when the nullifying cam is in its intermediate position, the latter position of the nullifying cam causing it to move the wing cam to the latters inoperative position via a small rocker member in contact with both of said cams.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 4 and also including the nullifying cam and an adjacent port-ion of the cam plate in section to show the inoperative position of the rocker member in relation to the nullifying and wing cams when the latter are in the position of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 as taken on line 77 of FIG. 5 and also including the nullifying cam and an adjacent portion of the cam plate in section to show the operative position of the rocker member in relation to the nullifying and wing cams when the latter are in the position of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the nullifying cam showing the recess for the rocker insert and the cut out for the control arm which is adapted to place the nullifying cam in its three positions.

1If IG. 9 is a perspective view of the rocker member itse FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of one of the hand operated control arm mechanisms of the machine whereby a nullifying cam may be moved to and held in each of three positions.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the control mechanism shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an end view of the control mechanism shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

The mechanisms of the present invention may be placed at each feed of a multi-feed inclined design wheel machine, preferably, but not necessarily, of the rotary cylinder open head sinker top type of machine. In these machines it is desirable that the fabric production thereof be as great as possible and to this end a maximum number of feeds is desirable on the machines. The cam members of the present invention, applicable at each of the feeds, are designed to occupy a minimum of peripheral distance of the cylinder in order that a maximum number of feeds may be placed on the machine. The cams are also designed so for quick change so as to cooperate with the needle selection of the design wheel (normally tuck and latch clearing levels of the needles) so that, at each of the feeds, the needles may knit and tuck as selected by the design wheel, the needles may knit and welt as selected by the design wheel or all the needles may knit plain stitches regardless of the design wheel selection.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the cam members for each feed are shown in full lines as positioned between conventional inclined design wheel and a conventional stitch cam 11, also for each feed, as shown in dot-dash lines. The main cam plate, shown at 12, has a radially movable wing cam 13 and a vertically movable nullifying cam 14 associated therewith. The cam plate 12 is recessed at 15 to permit the design wheel 10 to be placed close to the needle cylinder to act upon the butts N of the latch needles of the machine. The outer face of plate 12 is vertically slotted at 16, FIG. 7, to permit cam 14 to fit therein with its outer face flush with or slightly under the outer face of plate 12.

The cam 14, by means to be set forth, is adapted to be moved verically to the three level positions of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, relative to plate 12, FIG. 1 being known as the tuck position, FIG. 2 being known as the knit position and FIG. 3 being known as the welt position. Cam 14 is provided with a laterally extending tail 17 at its lower end which is adapted to fit into a corresponding cut out portion of plate 12 to limit the upward movement of cam 14, as in FIG. 1. Intermediate of its length, cam 14 is provided on one of its edges with a lateral slot 18 to receive the end of a control arm 19 therein by means of which this cam may be vertically moved and retained in moved position. The inner face of cam 14 is provided with a recess 20, above slot 18, extending inwardly from its opposite edge 21 thereof. A screw head 21', of a screw threadedly engaged with plate 12, is positioned to overlie the outer face of cam 14 to retain the same in position in slot 16. Cam plate 12 is provided with a pair of spaced tapped holes 22, 22 by means of which it may be secured to the inner face of conventional cam ring ledge 23, FIG. 10, in the usual manner.

The outer face of cam plate 12 is also vertically slotted as at 24, adjacent slot 16, to receive the pivotally mounted wing cam 13 therein and to permit it to be moved radially of the plate 12. Cam 13 is centrally slotted at its lower end where it is pivotally mounted on a horizontally extending pin 25 positioned in adjacent portions of plate 12. A spring 26 coiled about pin 25 and having its ends in contact with cam 13 and plate 12 serves to urge cam 13 toward the needle cylinder. An adjusting screw 27 threadedly engaged in and extending through cam 13 is adapted to engage the plate 12, FIG. 4, to adjust the position of cam 13 relative thereto. The outer face of plate 12, beneath cams 13 and 14, is provided with an elongated recess 28 extending laterally in both directions from the position of edge 21 of cam 14. One portion of recess 28 is adapted to coincide with recess 20 of cam 14 when the latter is in the welt position of FIG. 3.

A bent rocker 29, FIG. 9, positioned in recess 28 between plate 12 and earns 13 and 14, has arms and 31 the planes of which meet at an angle as at 32, FIGS. 6 and 7, about which the rocker may be pivotally moved. The near lower horizontal edge of arm 31 shown in FIG. 9 may be beveled or rounded as shown at 31. When the earns 13, 14 are in position of FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the rocker 29 is idle in recesses 29, 28 and wing cam 13 is not affected thereby. However, when cam 14 is raised, as in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 7, recess 20 is no longer aligned with recess 28 and the full thickness of cam 14 acts upon arm 31 of rocker 29 to pivot the same, FIG. 7, so that arm 34) thereof acts upon the underside of cam 13 to move the same outwardly about its pivot point to the position of FIG. 5. In this manner the wing cam is active in the welt position of FIG. 3 and is inactive in the tuck and knit positions of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The upper end of cam 13 is provided with the inwardly extending downwardly inclined lip 33 by means of which needle butts N may be lowered, as in FIG. 3. Cam 14 is angled at its upper edge, as at 34, by means of which needles may be raised as in FIG. 1. Cam 14, below edge 34, has one edge tapered, as at 35, to avoid interference with the near end of lip 33 of cam 13. The wheels 10 are of the well known type which selectively raise certain of the latch needles to latch clearing level wherein their needle butts N leave the wheel at the path level 37 while other of the needles leave the wheel at tuck level wherein their needle butts N proceed along the path level 36, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In FIG. 3, with cam 14 in welt position, needle butts N of path 37 proceed horizontally to stitch cam 11 and are lowered thereby for regular knitting to the stitch forming level of path 38. Needles of path 36 proceed horizontally to cam 33 and are lowered thereby to the level of path 39 and thereafter are lowered by stitch cam 11 to path 38. These welted needles miss the yarn at this feed. In FIG. 1 with cam 14 in knit position (cam 13 inactive) the needle butts of level 36 are raised by cam 14 from tuck level so that all the needles are raised to latch clearing level (with their butts at level of path 37) to take and knit the yarn as the needle butts are lowered by stitch cam 11 to path 38. In FIG. 1 the selection of wheel 10 is nullified by the action of cam 14. In FIG. 2 with cam 14 in tuck position (cam 13 inactive) the selection of wheel 10 is not functionally interfered with and a pattern of knit and tuck stitches may be knit. The tuck needles which have their butts N at level of path 36 upon leaving wheel 10 are raised slightly by cam 14 but not enough to clear their latches so that when they join the cleared needles (whose butts travel along path 37) under the stitch cam 11, all of the needles take the yarn as the butts are lowered to level of path 38, the cleared needles forming plain stitches while the others form tuck stitches.

The means to position cam 14 is shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 wherein 40 generally indicates a casting in which the component parts are supported. The casting is provided with a spaced pair of suitably apertured projections 41 by means of which it may be secured to the face plate of the machine. A casting 40 and component parts may be provided for each feed of the machine. The arm .19 is pivotally secured at 42 in a suitable slot in a projection 43 at one end of the casting 40'. The arm 19 extends rearwardly of its pivot point terminating in a bent handle 44 and being urged in a counterclockwise direction, FIG. 10, by a coiled spring embracing a stud 46 extending from the casting 40, the spring having arms 47 engaging the underside of arm 19. Adjacent handle 44 the arm 19 is provided, on its side opposite to said handle, with a detent 48 secured in place by means of a nut 49 in threaded engagement with a screw secured to said detent and extending through said arm 19. The detent 48 is suitably shaped to be engaged in any one of the three teeth 50 formed at the rear edge of a flat plate 52 secured to a fiat face formed on one side of an otherwise rod-shaped push member 53. The member 53 is adapted to move endwise in a suitably shaped aperture formed in casting 40, being urged outwardly therefrom by a compression spring 54 seated in member 53 and taking against the bottom of its aperture. A stud 55, suitably secured in casting 40, extends into an opening 56 of plate 51 to limit its outward movement due to the action of spring 54.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 is such that when member 53 is pushed in against the action of spring 54 the teeth 50 move therewith and are dis-engaged from detent 48 so that the arm 19 may then be pivotally moved to place cam 14 in a selected one of its three positions after which the member 53 is permitted to move outwardly by the action of spring 54 to cause detent 48 to be engaged by the appropriate one of the teeth 50, depending upon the position of arm 19. The uppermost full line position of arm 19 in FIG. corresponds to the knit position of cam 14, the lowermost dotted line position of arm 19 corresponds to the welt position of cam 14 and the intermediate dotted line position of arm 19 corresponds to the tuck position of cam 14. In this way the cam 14 is appropriately positioned as desired at each of the feeds and is securely held against vertical movement thereof.

I claim:

1. In a multi-feed circular knitting machine of the type having at each feed thereof an inclined design Wheel adapted to act upon the butts of the needles of said machine to selectively position the same at a pair of spaced upper and lower levels and having a stitch cam spaced from said wheel and adapted to lower said needles to cast off position, a cam assembly operativelydisposed between said wheel and said stitch cam to act upon the butts of said needles, said assembly having associated therewith a vertically movable nullifying cam and a radially movable wing cam and means operatively related to said cams to cause radial movement of said wing cam in response to vertical movement of said nullifying cam, said wing cam being movable between an outward inoperative and an inner operative position wherein it is adapted to act upon the needle butts of said lower level thereof to move the same to a still lower level and said nullifying cam being movable to three positions, the said means causing said wing cam to be moved to its said inoperative position when said nullifying cam is moved to at least one of its two uppermost positions, the said means also causing said wing cam to be moved to its said operative position when said nullifying cam is moved to its lowermost position.

2. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said nullifying cam in its uppermost position acts upon the needle butts of said lower level thereof to raise the same toward said upper butt level, wherein said win-g cam is in its said inoperative position when said nullifying cam is in an intermediate position.

3. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein a spring urges said wing cam to and maintains it in its said operative position and wherein said wing cam is caused to be moved to and to be maintained in its said inoperative position against the action of said spring by said means and by said nullifying cam when the latter is moved as set forth.

4. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pair of spaced levels correspond to needles at latch clearing level and to needles at tuck level, wherein said wing cam is in its said operative position to lower said tuck level needles to welt level when said nullifying cam is in its lowermost position to thus permit a feed of said machine to make welt stitch patterned fabric, wherein said wing cam is in its said inoperative position when said nullifying cam is in the intermediate one of its three positions to thus permit said feed of said machine to make tuck stitch patterned'fabric and wherein said wing cam is inoperative when said nullifying cam is in its uppermost position to raise said tuck level needles to said latch clearing level to thus permit said feed of said machine to make plain fabric.

5. In a cam assembly for a feed of a circular multi-feed knitting machine wherein said assembly is adapted to be positioned between an inclined design wheel and a stitch cam associated with said feed, said assembly including a peripherally extending base member operatively related to said design wheel and having a first and a second movable cam mounted thereon, said first cam being vertically movable relative to said base member while said second cam is radially movable relative thereto, and a rocker operatively disposed between said base member and said cams in such manner that vertical movement of said first cam will cause radial movement of said second cam, said rocker being fulcrummed on said base member.

6. In a cam assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said rocker is disposed in a first recess in said base member and wherein said first cam is provided with a second recess adapted to be aligned with said first recess in one vertical position thereof, said rocker being inactive relative to said second cam when said recesses are aligned.

7. In a cam assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein the outer face of said base member is provided with a pair of vertically extending adjacent slots therein, wherein said first cam is vertically movable in one of said slots and said second cam is pivotally mounted for radial movement in the other thereof, wherein the outer face of said base member is provided with a first horizontally extending recess across said slots and beneath said cams, wherein the inner face of said first cam is provided with a second horizontally extending recess adapted at times to be aligned with a portion of said first recess and wherein said rocker is adapted to be positioned in said first recess, said rocker being in idle position when said recesses are aligned and being operative to move said second cam radially when said first cam is moved so that said recesses are non aligned.

8. In a cam assembly as set forth in claim 5, means adapted to permit selected movement of said first cam vertically to each of three levels and to maintain the same t-hereat, said means including a pivotally movable lever having one end thereof operatively related to said first cam and having its other end locked against movement, the said means permitting said lever to be unlocked for movement thereof and of said first cam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,238 8/1934 Kretser 6650 2,539,790 1/ 1951' Mishcon et a1. 66-57 X 3,234,760 2/1966 Azzolari 66--57 3,274,800 9/1966 Mishcon et al. 665() MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. W. C. REYNOLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A MULTI-FEED CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING AT EACH FEED THEREOF AN INCLINED DESIGN WHEEL ADAPTED TO ACT UPON THE BUTTS OF THE NEEDLES OF SAID MACHINE TO SELECTIVELY POSITION THE SAME AT A PAIR OF SPACED UPPER AND LOWER LEVELS AND HAVING A STITCH CAM SPACED FROM SAID WHEEL AND ADAPTED TO LOWER SAID NEEDLES TO CAST OFF POSITION, A CAM ASSEMBLY OPERATIVELY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID WHEEL AND SAID STITCH CAM TO ACT UPON THE BUTTS OF SAID NEEDLES, SAID ASSEMBLY HAVING ASSOCIATED THEREWITH A VERTICALLY MOVABLE NULLIFYING CAM AND A RADIALLY MOVABLE WING CAM AND MEANS OPERATIVELY RELATED TO SAID CAMS TO CAUSE RADIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WING CAM IN RESPONSE TO VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID NULLIFYING CAM, SAID WING CAM BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OUTWARD INOPERATIVE AND AN INNER OPERATIVE POSITION WHEREIN IT IS ADAPTED TO ACT UPON THE NEEDLE BUTTS OF SAID LOWER LEVEL THEREOF TO MOVE THE SAME TO A STILL LOWER LEVEL AND SAID NULLIFYING CAM BEING 